Bra fitting guide

Finding the right size bra is often a trouble for many women; estimates are that about 80% of women wear the wrong size bra. This is not healthy for your breasts - especially if breasts are in too tight a bra.

Let your breasts have free time from bras daily - it's best to have spend more than 12 hours of your day bra-free. This will help the lymph flow inside your breasts. And when choosing a bra, try get yourself fitted by a professional.

A part of these bra fitting tips below have been submitted to us by a professional bra fitter.

What to know about getting a bra fitting:

The band size (or chest size) is the number part of your bra size. The cup size is the letter part. EX: if you are in a 36 B, then 36 is the band and B is the cup.
You are not going to get as good of a measurement as someone else would by measuring yourself. Let someone else measure you.
A measurement CAN be done over the bra you are wearing AND over your T-shirt. If you plan on getting fitted, don't wear a thick shirt like a sweatshirt or sweater.
If you have large and/or sagging breasts, then when the person is taking your band measurement, you should pull up on your bra's shoulder straps so that she can get the measuring tape under your breast for an accurate measurement.
EX: I had 2 different sale ladies "fit" me a year ago. One did not have me pull up on my straps and told me I was a 44DD. The size seemed to work but I was messing with my bra all day long and the wire kept poking me. I went back and a second lady "fitted" me and had me pull up on my straps and came out with a 40 DDD, which turned out to be my "true" size. The wire stopped hurting me and I stopped messing with my bra while I wore it.
If you wear a bra with padding or stuff your bra, then you are not going to get an accurate measurement. If you plan on getting fitted, wear a bra without padding.
Not all fittings will tell you the "right" size, but will give you a good place to start at usually.
Try on different styles of bras. Every style fits and feels different and can "shape" your breast differently.
Don't rush trying on bras. Really pay attention to how they fit and feel. Go bra shopping when you know you have the TIME for it. Many women have had to take up to an hour or more trying on several different sizes and styles to find the bra that gave them the fit and feel they wanted.
If your bra fits correctly, it should NOT be painful or uncomfortable to wear.

Finding the band size

There is NO consensus in these measurement methods (unfortunately). Different opinions exist. So no matter what measuring system you use, you still need to try the garment on to be sure it actually fits.

Have someone measure around your chest with a tape measure, just under your breasts, and around the back. Make sure the tape measure rests flat on the skin and goes straight across your back. The most common advice is to add 5 inches to this measurement - and then that is your band size (also called chest size).

BUT adding only 2-3 inches (instead of 5) can work better for many women - if you need the support to come more from below, rather than hanging off the shoulders. The above breast chest measure can also be a guide.

If you end up with an odd number, go up to the next even number, since bras usually only come in even-numbered band sizes.

Finding the cup size

Measuring the cup size is trickier; even with a measurement it is better to try on different bras and find out experimentally which one fits.

Have someone measure you again, this time the measuring tape goes on top of the fullest part of your breasts. If you already own a well-fitting non-padded bra, you can wear it while taking this measurement as long as it doesn't 'flatten' your breasts (which would make an illusion of a smaller cup size). Record this number, and find the difference between that, and the band-size number. The difference tells you the correct cup size as follows:

Difference: (inches)	negative	< 1	1"	2"	3"	4"	5"	6"	7"
Cup size	AAAA or AAA	AA	A	B	C	D	DD or E	DDD or F	DDDD or G

Remember again, bra measuring is not exact science. And how could it be when women's breasts come in so many different shapes and sizes? Usually one breast is bigger than the other, they might sag, etc. So the fitting room tells you the truth; not the tape measure. You have to try the bra on. If it fits right, that's your bra size even if the tape measure told you different.

How to tell if your bra fits correctly.

It should fit snugly around. You ought to be able to fit one or two fingers under the band comfortably. If you are pulling down the back strap or pulling up on the shoulder straps throughout the day, then the band size (the # part of your bra size) is too big.
1. Can you fit 1 or 2 fingers comfortably? If yes, then the band is right size.
2. If you're having a hard time putting one finger under the band, then move the hooks to the loosest fitting eyes. If it is still tight on the loosest fitting, then try on one in the next up band size.
3. If the band can easily be pulled away from your body, or if the band rises up your back, then go down one in the band size.
If you are wearing an underwire bra, the wire that comes up between the breasts should lay flat (or as close as possible) to your breast bone. If you are wearing a bra with no underwire, you should have two separate breasts, not just a "one big boob".
If the bra is a soft cup bra, you shouldn't have any extra, gapping fabric. If the bra is a molded cup you shouldn't have any extra room in the cup. Your breast should completely fill the cup. If it is gapping and the band feels fine, then go down in the cup size.
You don't want to be spilling out of the cup - not from the top, bottom or sides. If the band feels fine then go up a cup size.
If you raise your arms up (do this a few times), the bra should stay against your body, not lifting up or off. If this happens try a few things;
1. adjust the shoulder straps by loosing them
2. Pay attention to the band. Is it too tight? Or too loose? Or just right?
3. If the band is just right, and adjusting the shoulder straps didn't work, then go up a cup size.
If you have a small frame or are petite, and you find a bra that fits the band, and you don't quite fill the cup and you have already tried the next cup size down and it's still not quite right - OR if the you have the "right" size, the band fits and you fill the cup, but the wire is poking your underarms, then try a Demi bra. A Demi style bra is different from a full coverage bra. The Demi has less wire, by about an inch or more.
Try on different styles of bras. Every style fits and fills different and can "shape" your breast differently.
If your bra fits correctly, it should NOT be painful or uncomfortable to wear.

For the dads out there helping their girls to shop for a bra:

Just like boxers and briefs and jockstraps are all very different in fit and comfort for you, for her every bra is different and there are hundreds of bra styles to choose from.
Don't rush her. Let her try on as many bras as she needs too to find what is right for her.

About bras made in the UK/Europe:
When you hold these bras up against a comparable US made bra, the cup is positioned higher in relation to the back of the bra. This makes the support more solid and results in needing fewer hooks in the back. (i.e. a thinner band - this is nice for wearing more revealing necklines, etc)

LadyG

You do a great service with this site. I worked in formal wear for years and regularly (as in daily) fitted women into formal gowns and saw the wide variety of body shapes with which Mother Nature has graced us. I also heard endless expressions of negative self-esteem due largely (IMO) to the media's creation of a myth of perfect, perky, large breasts that can stand up straight without any support. Sometimes 'helpful' family members would only increase the women's problems by mocking her body and/or agreeing with her concerns, at which point I would feel compelled to tell them that I've seen thousands of breasts (much more than the average guy or media photog) and that the woman in question was perfectly normal.

The only time I was ever taken aback by a woman's breasts was a young woman who had more (dark curly) hair between her breasts than most men do.

And finally, I saw and was distressed by the extremely high percentage of women under the age of 30 who had had breast augmentation done. We actually had a description of them, "torpedos" -- due to the fact that they stood straight out, unlike normal women.

As a side note, I think more women would be happy about their breasts if they had a bra fitting done by a professional and purchased the right type of bra for their needs. Countless times I would discover the truth to the fashion industry's claim that most women are wearing the wrong bra size. Odds are -- you are wearing a size close to what you wore when you were 16 and it's wrong. Get fitted. And if you are concerned about sagging, find a comfortable underwire (they are out there) and you will see a tremendous difference in your appearance and your self esteem. I cannot tell you of the numbers of women I forced to try on a properly-fitted bra who stared at themselves in amazement, saying, "I look 10 pounds thinner!" or "I look ten years younger." So before you get surgery, get a good bra.

Cami

Bra-fitting advice websites:

Please read these articles too; they are excellent in explaining different aspects in buying a bra.

Linda's Bra School An online guide to bra problems and solutions, including medical ones. Also a bra finder/store where you can search bras according to the bra problem.

Could a sports bra be for everyday use?

My-Bra.com - over 20,000 words of free bra advice online.

How to work out your true bra size
From FigLeaves.com - a guide showing most common errors women make with pictures. Also includes an interactive bra calculator that lets you choose your current size, and go towards looser/tighter band, and larger/smaller cup size. See also their free Bra Book.

Finding the right bra from KidsHealth.org - a guide for choosing the right bra especially for teen girls.

Bra sizing - what is my correct bra size?
If you're going to wear one, please make sure it is of correct size!

Breast pictures arranged by bra size

Bra stores

For a comfortable bra, try Decent Exposures, sizes from from 30AAA to 60J, custom-made if needed, personalized service.

CustomComfortByPaula.com
Custom-Fit Bras that can fit a woman 28-52 A-LL and bigger. The bras do not have underwire and are EXTREMELY supportive. Paula Eisenberger.

FigLeaves.com has a large selection in sizes.

Bare Necessities - sizes 30AA to 52J.

Healthy custom-fitted bras are available through home shows and are very popular to those women who have so much trouble finding a proper bra with a proper fit: Jeunique bras. Please email me if you would like further information on obtaining a personal bra fitting by a trained professional in your area.

Bravadodesigns.com have good nursing and non-nursing bras for large sizes.

BlueCanoe.com - comfortable cotton camis, tanks, and bra tops that mimic bra, yet are stretchy and without hooks or straps.

Glamourmom.com - built-in nursing bra tanks and tops.

Bras4Mums - maternity and nursing bras. Free bra fitting advice from specialists.

After you're finished with the gallery, you can enjoy the video clips below:

"Just Pretend"

"He's A rebel"

(originally by the Crystals)

See more oldies/Elvis videos from Rockabilly.US!

=> Visit YouTube.com/RockabillyUS to see more!

Bra that does not fit. Very large-breasted women often have bra troubles.

Loosely fitting bra on another woman

The following comments are from various visitors to www.007b.com, and may or may not agree with the viewpoints presented on this website. The comments are posted here because they might further help and encourage men and women who visit this website; however 007 Breasts is not responsible for this content or any loss/damage caused by reading these.

For US Residents Only

Thank you so much! I am 12 almost 13 and i have had my period for for a year and a half. ish. and my mom and are not close at all, and she wears a 32A, and she gave me all of her old bras wich were 32 or 34 As. They didnt really fit, but i was kind of afraid to tell her that, because my boobs are bigger than hers and she is always like oh i am sooo jealous of you. This website really helped me find out that i was a 32C. so thank you lots! and my boobies thank you too!!! :)

jess

Thanks I just took a course in fitting at my job and this helped me to remember and to write down what I forgot. The course I took was video and was great and this was the same just in words.

Noretta

I think this helped. The only thing it should speak up about is people with different shaped breasts. There is about a cupsize difference between my breasts and it makes bra shopping nearly impossible.

Jenell

You should have on your fitting page that for many women only adding 2-3 inches works better for the band size. This is common in the UK where bra sizes range 26-50+ and cups AA - JJ. If you are wearing an H or higher, you should try those bras - they are designed for a lower breast and to take the weight off the shoulders. They have been a godsend for me! (34GG not pregnant, 36 HH+ at 6 months pregnant)

LadyG

I cried when I found your website. I am petite-sized (chest 29 inches)and large busted (H cup). I have struggled all my life to find a bra to fit, having large breasts that collect sweat under them and bang around and hurt if brafree. I have been "professionally fitted" with bras that are way too small, and my breast actually feels bruised after wearing those bras. I am going to go brafree at home more often, to improve circulation and lymph flow. Hurrah for your information and website!!

Katie

I found your site while using Google, and viewing the "normal breast gallery" really helped me to get over myself and finally come to terms with my breasts. I'm American and I grew up in a European household (both my parents are from Italy) and after my brother left for college my mom would walk around the upstairs topless or fully naked all the time and we'd share a bathroom where she'd put her makeup on topless. I was used to seeing the naked female form, but since she is from the very conservative island of Sicily, she always made a point to tell me to keep my breasts covered up around my father and brother and especially in public. It actually took her a few years to come to terms with my affinity for low cut tops that put my ample cleavage on display. I grew up understanding that breasts were basically milk bottles and nothing more, it took an introduction to American media when I was in middle school to understand that in the U.S. breasts are considered to be sexual, not nurturing.

But, despite growing up in a situation that made breasts normal, not sexual, when mine grew in, I hated them and felt that they just made me different, when I wanted desperately to fit in. I started developing a chest when I was in 4th grade and my mom started putting me into sports bras to help bind them down so I could play and not be singled out and teased by the other kids, and at that time I was already an A cup. I bought my first bra in 5th grade and was already a B cup. By the time I hit 6th grade, my breasts had grow to a C cup and by the time I ended high school I was a full D, probably a small DD. I hated my breasts with a passion. They were nothing like the small perky ones that my mother had, they were large and saggy like my grandmother's and aunts' and don't fit in a bra very well. I always stood out as the girl with the large chest, but I was never teased because of it. I never hid my breasts by changing in a toilet stall before lacrosse practice, I would just rip off my shirt, pull my sports bra on over my bra and then take off the regular bra without missing a beat. I was respected for that, as I was one of the few who had that kind of body confidence.

In college, I gained 45 lbs and my breasts grew to a DD!!! But I had no clue! I was wearing a 38D or a 40C as that's what the girls at Victoria's Secret told me I was. It took watching Oprah's bra show back in June 2005 that made me think "I'm wearing the wrong size and bra!" and I immediately stopped shopping at Victoria's Secret and went to the nearby Nordstrom and had my first professional bra fitting. That's when I found out that the C that Victoria's Secret swore I was, probably to make the sale, was the completely wrong size! They were so far off that it was almost comical! That day in the Nordstrom fitting room, I was measured as a 40DD. I was floored. I knew I was big, but never thought I was THAT big! I now wear the right size and only buy my bras at Nordstrom despite the extra expense. But despite wearing the right size, I still have issues with fit. My breasts are so saggy that all bras just feel like they're crushing my breasts into my chest and I always feel like i'm slipping out from under the wire whether the bra is lace, cotton, or formed foam cups. So, I'm always adjusting to make myself feel more comfortable. I've also lost 20lbs and found my DD bras were just too big, so I went back to Nordstrom and was remeasured as a very full 38D very small 38DD. I went with the smaller size as I am planning on losing more weight.

I'm now coming to terms with my breasts, that they are saggy because they grew in so fast. They're getting perkier b/c I'm losing weight. I have stretch marks due to the rapid development (I swear I went to bed one night flat and woke up the next with breasts). Seeing your site and viewing the gallery made me think for the first time in my life with breasts "Oh my! I'm NORMAL!!!" As a larger chested woman, I have always wanted small breasts so I could get the cute designer bras, but have now found the amazing British brand, Fantasie, which only makes plus sized bras that aren't "granny" bras, and have found amazing extended size sports bras from Moving Comfort and a local runner's store carries them. But I always told my mom, I would throw a party once my breasts shrink down enough to no longer be classified as "plus-sized" and as I lose weight, I'm heading closer to that goal. But until then, I will love my breasts they are and not how I want them to be.

thanks again!

--
~liz

I have a recomendation for an exceptional nursing bra by Glamourmom. Its a cotton camisole with a shelf bra and space for nursing pads. The bra is so comfortable, I will probably wear them after my son is done nursing. They come in a variety of colors, too. Check out Glamourmom.com.

Schorre'

The problem I have it that I measure as a 38J (yes you did read that right). The trouble is that this seems fine. The band is good, the cups fit the besoms perfectly. My breasts aren't uncomfortable. My ribs are another matter. No matter what style of bra I but I end up with the side bones digging into my ribs. I tried going up a band size but then the band was too loose and if I go up a cup size there's gaping fabric and I still get bruised ribs.

I think I'm a weird shape or something.

I've always been large chested, at 13 I was a 36D. Now that I'm 25 and have a child, my breasts are larger then I ever imagined they would get. After having my son I still tried to squeeze into a 40DD for almost a year, but I re-measured and found out that I'm a 42F/G. I believe that so many women are like me and believe that they're smaller then they really are because society looks at D and DD as huge and they really aren't. I would love to be a DD.

Jill

Looking for a store to visit in New York City that has a service for hard to fit bra. Wear a 36-38 DDD or E bra, with saging breasts. Also, looking for bra built in cup bathing suit, must be good foundation and wire support.

Nancy C. Groff

am looking for someone to custom make me a non underwire bra that fits and is comfortable in ny metro area. hate them all, but must wear one for work as i teach high school... usually rip them off in car on way home. please recommend, do not want the hassle of returning bras by mail, want to be able to go someplace, and see, try on, etc. thanks.

eileen

Boy do i have a problem, I am a 28 year old who is not ready to except that my breasts sag.I've had two children gained and lost a lot of weight and my breasts show it. My problem is I want lift and seperation, and I wouldn't mind a little cleavage at times.I can't seem to find this without getting the Spillage in the middle where my floppy breasts fall out of my bras.I have tryed many bras and sizes. I do have large breasts they are 36DD.I have payed for cheap bras and costly ones nothing seams to fit right. please help me. :)

Trudy

Please realize that I am not a professional bra fitter, or any kind of bra fitter for that matter. If you have spillage, it usually means too small cup size. Other than that, I don't know. Check the links mentioned above on this page.

hi i am 12 and i will be 13 in aq few months i have had my period now for almost 2 years my breasts are huge (32d) and really close together which makes it hard to wear underwired bra's so i have to wear non wired bras so m breasts a re always droopy. if any one has any answers that could help me could you plz email me @ lilmissnaughty_572@hotmail.co.uk thanx lucy

Lucy

I have large pendelous breasts and can't seem to find the right bra. None of the stores in my area have my size, 48 H so I order online. When I get the bras, none of them fit, the cup size is okay but the band size is way too small. I have lost weight and thought that my chest would reduce also. It isn't, and I am getting very discouraged. My present bra is uncomfortable and gives me those marks that you speak about. When I am at home, I do go braless and after reading your article, I am glad that I do. Is there any place that I can go to get a proper bra? I live close to New York City so I can go there but I prefer to travel out to Long Island. Thank you for your help.

Romy

I hate bras because I always seem to buy the most uncomfortable ones. They are fine when I wear them for five minutes in the dressing room. But when I get home and wear them for hours, they get very painful. I even get bruises f/ them wear the adjusters are. does anyone else have this problem? the bruises are on the front of my breasts and on my back where those plastic circles are for adjusting. I'd go braless if I had smaller breasts. I wear a 36C and I sag a bit even at my age of 21. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what I should do about bruising and scars from the bras? Currently, I am trying to stick to sports bras because they don't have the plastic circle adjusters that irritate me. But sport bras aren't attractive when you wear a tank top or any other revealing clothing.

Zadora Thompson

Thanks for the tips in measuring for a bra, I hope it works when I go shopping for my next bra, I am 70 years young and have very saggy breast and cant find a bra that does not cut me around the band, I am also shotr waisted and they seen to roll up and cut even more, If you have any suggestions on what style and brand feel free to let me know, Seems like I have tried them all and spent a fortune as well, Thanks you Madelyn Hutto

madelyn hutto

I would suggest a personal fitting by a professional, or possibly by custom-made bras. For example Decent Exposures can make you one.

Thanks for your website! I'll take my small breasts anytime!!

Sue

I'm a fitter at a local department store. I was looking for info to better help customers. Thank you for this site. I come in contact with ladies with small measurement who need special made bras to fit them proper. I want to be a big help to the many women I come in contact with. I did not know that you need to give the breast rest from the bra for 12 hours. Will past this on any other info thanks again for this site

Margaret Robinson

One thing I've noticed in fitting myself for bras is that I'm NOT what I'm told! I measure to be a 34B, but when I wear that size, I have all the horrible symptoms of a tight bra. Meaning, the straps around my body are WAY too tight, and the cup size is usually too small. What I've resorted to doing is buying a size 36A - which is still a little snug around the sides, but the cup fits ok, and I don't wind up with a stomach ache from the tightness. The main problem seems to be that bra manufacturers must think that in order for it to stay on, they need to add super-strength elastic. That's the problem I encounter. And then, if the straps fit, they seem to think my breasts will be larger than life! After having a baby, my bones seem to have widened more, so soon I'll probably be a 38A. LOL! Do they even make that size??? Thanks for your site!

Jen

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Bra sizing
guide

Bra fitting guide

What to know about getting a bra fitting:

Finding the band size

Finding the cup size

How to tell if your bra fits correctly.

For the dads out there helping their girls to shop for a bra:

Bra-fitting advice websites:

Bra stores

THE BOOK!

Other people's comments

THE BOOK!

Bra sizing guide

Bra fitting guide

What to know about getting a bra fitting:

Finding the band size

Finding the cup size

How to tell if your bra fits correctly.

For the dads out there helping their girls to shop for a bra:

Bra-fitting advice websites:

Bra stores

THE BOOK!

Other people's comments

THE BOOK!

Bra sizing
guide